Acteon tornatilis has a thick, opaque, pink, external shell of up to 2-3 cm that is marked by 1-3 white bands on the body whorl and one white band on the remainder. Either side of each band is a narrow margin of dark pink. It is able to withdraw the whole of its body into its shell which is then sealed by an amber-coloured operculum. The shell aperture accounts for two-thirds of the shell length. Inside the lip of the shell is a distinctive tooth. The head of Acteon tornatilis has four large lobes and a cephalic disc that is used in burrowing through clean, fine sand together with a small foot that has blunt, propodial tentacles. Inside of the shell are folded mantle flaps.